Today's date is Tuesday June the 19th 2007 the time now is 1:12 p.m. I'm Detective Lt. Ken Mitchell along with Detective Chuck Noles. We are currently in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Blytheville Police Department conducting an interview with a Ms. Jo Lynn, and you told me yesterday your name had recently changed, what is it now?

Jo Lynn: McCalhe

Mitchell: McCalhe ok. Uh we'll call you Jo Lynn for this interview if that's ok is that alright?

Jo Lynn: yeah that's fine.

Mitchell: Ok you know we're you understand we're doing ah recording of our interview right?

Jo Lynn: (not audible)

Mitchell: Ok you have any objections us recording interview with you today?

Jo Lynn: say what?

Mitchell: You have any objections us recording the interview with you today?

Jo Lynn: No.

Mitchell: Ok. Detective Noles is going to go over a form with you. It's called a Rule 2.3 Rights Form if you'll listen to him as he goes over it with you.

Noles: Jo Lynn this is a Rights Form what time you have now?

Mitchell: 1:12 p.m.

Noles: and it says you are advised that Law Enforcement Authorities desire to have you to meet with them at the Blytheville Police Department CID for the purpose to have you furnish information otherwise cooperate in the investigation of a prevention of a crime. You're not legally obligated to furnish information or otherwise cooperate in this investigation or prevention of a crime. It is entirely your choice whether to appear at the time above noted place and time to cooperate or furnish information. I have read this Form or have had it read to me. I understand my rights and listed above and I agree to appear and cooperate with Law Enforcement Authorities at the above noted place. If that's a true statement I just need your signature right there for us. Ok, I'm mon sign right below ya and let him sign and we'll be ready.

Mitchell: Ok as I said before Jo Lynn if you will just hold this in your hand that way and speak clearly so you can be heard ok.

Jo Lynn: Ok.

Mitchell: Uh what we are here to talk to you about today we're following up on a report on the investigation into the death of the uh three boys from 1993 uh the one which was your nephew Steven Branch. Uh we just got threw interviewing Pam Hobbs, and what is your relation to Pam?

Jo Lynn: Ok uh I was in Blytheville at the time all this happened.

Mitchell: What's your relation, how are you related to Pam?

Jo Lynn: I'm her sister.

Mitchell: Ok that was my question.

Jo Lynn: Ok yeah just speak up to me cause ha ha ha.

Mitchell: ok yeah that's fine. Like I say just trying to (not audible). All right and in May of 1993 where were you living?

Jo Lynn: I was living in uh Cuter MO.

Mitchell: Is that just north of the state line.

Jo Lynn: right state line of AR and MO.

Mitchell: And uh when did you learn when did you learn about the three boys and their deaths?

Jo Lynn: Uh well the, Pam and my dad it was like uh I0 o'clock maybe 11 it was in late hours of the night. Uh my dad received a phone call that Steve had not come in he was missing. Uh so my dad immediately goes to West Memphis.

Mitchell: from where?

Jo Lynn: From Blytheville. Uh he meets with Pam and Terry and you know he's doing his part ta look for Steve. Uh I'm communication with the family by telephone. You know they hadn't found him looking for him, we just kinda of the family stayed up all night, you know questioning did he get in trouble and maybe he was hiding you know and not to get you know a spanking or something. And uh maybe we would find him by morning, you know don't know what little kids do but we had fear in our minds and heart that something bad was happening.

Mitchell: When you said Terry a minute ago who, who were you referring to who were you talking about?

Jo Lynn: When I said say it again?

Mitchell: You said Terry, who were you talking about?

Jo Lynn: Terry?

Mitchell: Terry who were you talking about when you say Terry?

Jo Lynn: Terry? Terry Hobbs.

Mitchell: Ok I just need you clarify on the tape when you're talking about somebody if you mention a first name I need to clarify one time and find out who you're talking about.

Jo Lynn: Ok.

Mitchell: Uh and Terry at that time was married to your sister Pam is that correct?

Jo Lynn: yes.

Mitchell: Uh did you come did you come to West Memphis doing that time?

Jo Lynn: I arrived after they found the boys. The family was all at Pam and Terry's home. My dad was there and my mother uh my sisters, my brother they had all arrived. I may have been the fourth or fifth person to arrive. By that time they had it on the news showing that they had found the bicycles the boys and it was uh a reality to us at that time.

Mitchell: What was Pam state of mind? How was she at that time?

Jo Lynn: Uh she was in like shock. The way every thing was going on we had the family crying some of us were you know in different rooms. Uh I have a sister that has epilepsy, she had a seizure had to call paramedic ta come and tend to her. Uh Pam spent that time in Steve bedroom just holding some things of his and you know...

Mitchell: how was Terry doing that time? Did you see him and see what was his demeanor?

Jo Lynn: Uh the way that I observed him he kinda stayed in the back ground observing everybody, he was quiet and one thing that I noticed about it is that he was washing laundry. He wasn't just washing the dirty laundry, he was taking clothes out of the dresser drawers and washing those. So I mention it to my father what is he doing? You know its just strange behavior to me. uh terry was kind of quiet and just stayed in the back ground watching everybody.

Mitchell: Tell me what you know about, what'll ah you know about Terry? Tell me about Terry?

Jo Lynn: He didn't show any compassion for Pam like being there being supportive you know being by her side. He was just like when the family was gathered in the room we would be like in the kitchen and dinning room area and he's in the living room, and he always stays in the back ground watching. Uh he didn't volunteer to speak a whole lot unless it was the media or the camera in his face or something like that.

Mitchell: and what I'm asking to also uh Jo Lynn is prior to this happening and I'm talking about threw their marriage...

Jo Lynn: Prior to the

Mitchell: Early in their marriage what kind of person is Terry? Tell me about Terry.

Jo Lynn: well, ha me and my sister Pam being the closet other than my brother uh of all the children Pam and I have always communicated. Terry married her uh when she was going threw a divorce with her first husband. Pam had just come back from Texas and a lot of things happened, she had a mental break down. Uh and he married her in that state of mind. And I question you know my mom and dad aren't you concerned about this man who's taking an interest in Pam, who is not mentally stable at this time. she had just gone threw every thang. I did not like Terry. I felt that he was a secretive person, he wasn't straight up he didn't communicate with us like you know we all do. And I told him if he ever hurt my sister you know he would answer to me for it. And I mean to use her for what ever reason, when they first married uh I sensed jealousy of the child you know he had just gone to his daddy's momma divorce and he's only two years old. So she has to lay down in the bed with him at night to get him to sleep you know lay with him. Uh Terry would get kinda of angry about it uh let him sleep by his self, if he cry let him cry himself to sleep. You know you belong in the bed with your husband well, I didn't like that I didn't like that at all. There were several events uh where we found bruises on him.

Mitchell: On him who you talking bout?

Jo Lynn: On Steve.

Mitchell: Where did you find bruises?

Jo Lynn: On his back, leg area uh some time on the shoulder uh mom and dad kept Steve other than when he went to school. You know they practically raised him. Uh when he was big enough to say daddy Terry whip me, you know he would tell these things. Uh one time he used the bathroom in his underwear he was potty training and all and a little behind with it uh and he dirtied his underwear he got terrified and he went and hid. My mom and I we were looking we looked every where all around we were historical we could not find this child. Uh we were in my mothers room she had a box of clothes in the closet and then his foot fell out of the box. I said momma he's in there so we pull him out he's hot, he's sweaty we're like baby what's wrong? What's wrong with you? Daddy Terry gonna whip me, he's gonna whip me, I mean the kid was terrified. Well the family question it we didn't get a lot of answers about that and so my mom and dad just kept Steve with them. And Pam and Terry lived in Indiana. He moved her from Jonesboro first Blytheville then Jonesboro and then Indiana.

Mitchell: Where at in Indiana?

Jo Lynn: I do know that Terry, that Steve was terrified of Terry.

Mitchell: Where at in Indiana did they live?

Jo Lynn: I couldn't tell she can tell you though. Uh but his father and family run uh a restaurant well they started catfish I don't recall the name of it at this time but that's what he would do is run the restaurant for his father. But it came out that he was embezzling money from his father, so his father kicked him out of the business.

Mitchell: you know what kind of hobbies or activities that Terry had?

Jo Lynn: None that I know of. He did not fish. He did not hunt. He didn't collect you know anything uh he would get up every Saturday morning at 6 a.m. stay gone uh till 1 p.m. or so. Said he was yard selling but he never brought anything back. I always thought he was mysterious person because me being married fourteen years my husband we share you know everything as far as our finances, uh anything we discuss we were friends you know as well as parents. Uh Pam never knew how much money he made she never seen a pay check stub. He did not pay bills Pam did. Pam always had a job she paid the bills he kept his money.

Mitchell: did you ever go visit them in West Memphis before this happened? You ever go down to West Memphis to visit them?

Jo Lynn: Did I do what now?

Mitchell: Did you ever got to West Memphis and visit Pam and Terry(not audible)?

Jo Lynn: Oh yeah many times, many times.

Mitchell: and this is your driving from Cuter MO. to West Memphis?

Jo Lynn: Awe yeah cause I've also lived in Blytheville, we when I moved to Cuter we had a home build so that's where I was deciding at the time but I've lived in Blytheville and Steal MO.

Mitchell: Uh have you had any conversation uh with uh Terry Hobbs since Steve death, in the years since his death uh that have uh resulted in any conversation anything being said that uh you felt might be unusual or uh unexpected that you didn't expect to hear from him or hear him say?

Jo Lynn: Well, he questioned me one time. He asked me did I feel that he had murdered Steve? I asked him why are you questioning me this. He said I just wanna know. And so I told him if you want to ask me I'm gonna tell you what I truly feel. I believe you involved either directly or indirectly. He said well that hurts my feelings. It was a lot of unanswered questions. You know Terry was never question at the time (not audible) you know they got a statement from Pam uh they question Pam never did they question Terry. There was never any kinda of hair anything taken from him. It was like he was always in the back ground never put in the spot like. Never question like he was the innocent victim the father of. And he would never call Steve by his name he would call him "the boy". Now I....I didn't like that either.

Mitchell: Did you ever have any uh any thing else he ever call Steve nickname or anything like that?

Jo Lynn: Uh he nicknamed him frog leg because when he was young he jumped off the side of a boat went down in the water and Terry said he looked like a frog coming up so he nicknamed him frog leg.

Mitchell: Now did you have uh where were you at when you had this conversation when Terry asked you if you thought he had any involvement in this case? You remember where you were at?

Jo Lynn: where were we at? He uh I wanna say uh this was early on after it was prior to him shooting my brother. So I'm gonna say I lived in Blytheville at that time, and it was within the year after Steve was...

Mitchell: You said you had a computer (not audible) conversation here in Blytheville?

Jo Lynn: yes in my home.

Mitchell: Ok all right now have you since after that at some point did you come into possession of some property uh that you turned over to an attorney?

Jo Lynn: uh yes.

Mitchell: Tell me how that happened and what you found?

Jo Lynn: ok uh Pam and Terry have been back and forth uh a few times during the marriage. At one time when I was in Cuter uh this was after him shooting my brother, Pam come to my house and stayed. At that time she had some of her belongings and in it there was a copy of his divorce from his first wife. Uh she ask me to keep it so that I would have and he wouldn't, she cause she knew she would end up going back to him I guess. You know it was a back and forth thang. Well, in 2004 uh Amanda called me at 3 a.m. and Amanda, Pam's daughter Pam and Terry's daughter. She calls me aunt Jo Lynn can you come me? Where are you? I'm in Paris, TN. Baby what are you doing there. I'm not going back home the child would tell me thangs from the time she was a baby up till she was a teenager. About things that her dad would do to her, uh physical and sexual. And me telling her I can't help you until help me help you. You have to tell this to someone. You know I would have to turn him in and then I can help you, otherwise I'm not going to be able to help you. So she calls me to come and get her you stay where you are Amanda I'm 2 hours away let your mom come and get you. So she did and only on the condition that Pam meet me halfway and her come to me. So Amanda came to me she refused to go back home uh so that's what brought Pam to Blytheville. Uh I moved from the home I was in in Cuter to a bigger house in Blytheville so that me and Pam could you know share a home together. Uh I called Tennessee I turned it in, they come and investigated it. uh they interviewed Amanda they made a report and saw you know documented. So Pam come to me I went to Memphis to move her and her things. Terry was there we took the police with us he had all Steve belongs locked up in the trunk of his car. so we go inside and he's lying to the Officers he say's I don't have it. I say's he's got it out there in the trunk of his car. Well, the police officer asked if he would go out and open up the trunk? Well, he saying yes before he could get out the door the baby pulls drugs paraphernalia out.

Mitchell: The baby who?

Jo Lynn: Amanda, Amanda pulls out drug paraphernalia she knew where her daddy hid it. so when uh I let the officer know one of em she's got it in her hand Amanda. So he was then arrested taken out of the house. Well that gives us the chance to pack up Pam's belongings. Well there's a night stand next to the bed in Pam and Terry's bed room and I open it up it had a door and there in a towel was fourteen knives different shapes, sizes from this to little pocket knives. So I just wrapped that towel up and I put it in with the things we were packing up. uh Pam was going threw the closet his, his belongings and there was a fire proof lock box and we took it down and we open that box up, and the only thing was inside that box was a partial plate that fits in your mouth where Terry had had dental work after Steve death. This was the first set of partials, and I'm like is this not the oddest thing I've ever laid eyes on. It's the fire proofbox that locks up and all it has in it is the partials plates. So I wrapped that up in a napkin and I take it with me. I felt to uh to turn it in to Brent Davis at first. I went to my father and daddy what should we do? When I open up the towels to show daddy the knives he spotted Steve pocket knife. The one he had given him. Uh Steve was my daddy's first grandbaby the apple of his eye and you know, so dad got kinda of sickly I had get him a glass of water you know and to wet his face. So daddy didn't wanna touch any of the knives uh and he thought about it and he said well, the prosecution at this time they have a conviction they don't need anything they probably want even test it, he said your best bet to turn it in to the defense so I called Dan Spiddem's he met me in Cuter MO. where the Chief of Police there had a restaurant we closed it up for two hours of that we could have enough room and privacy to do all this. So Dan we took out all the knives and he took pictures of all of it. One of em had a sleeve on it and he pulled it out and something fell out of the sleeve. So they had gloves on and they just put it in a bag and you know took it with em. Uh and I give every bit of that to him.

Mitchell: Who all was present when you gave (not audible)?

Jo Lynn: It was uh me and Dan another guy that came with Dan, uh the Chief of Police Merrill Jo Stewart and his wife.

Mitchell: Who was the can you name everybody I mean by name who was there?

Jo Lynn: uh I don't know the gentleman's name that was with Dan, but it was me, Dan Spiddem, who ever he had with him I don't know that man's name, Farrell Jo Stewart which is the Chief of Police Ruth Ann Stewart we were all present. And later we were out at Robin Hood Hill and we had pulled up ah rod it appeared to me uh in the shape it was in may have been a table leg. Then after my dad looked at it he said maybe it's a handle to a wagon an old wagon that you know that you pull. But I noticed at the end when ever Pam pulled the stick up it was like identical to that mark on Steve head. I'm like wait a minute, wait a minute stop let me have that. We took the stick and uh we stopped at the store and I had it laying in the back seat and I picked it up and it hit my uh sister the dirt come out the other end of it, the one end was kind of shape like you know similar to a belt buckle and it the way it was shaped the other end was hallow it was and it had the dirt in it, it some of it fell out and I was like and by me knowing and every thing I know about this case I know there was an irregular wound on the back of Michael Moor's head that was a quarter inch puncher hole. So my dad being a welder and me knowing measurement the way that I do, I'm like this is bout and half inch and it would make a quarter inch insert. I didn't wanna disturb anything cause if it was shoved into the ground there may have been something inside this. We took it home uh we were gonna meet with Dan uh he asked if I would take pictures send em over to em on my computer and I was gonna do so. Uh Pam was back and forth to Memphis, Amanda done went back to Terry to live with him so I just put it up in the top of the closet of the house we lived in and right now I have the landlord looking to see if possibility if it's still there. when we moved it was left behind.

Mitchell: in Missouri?

Jo Lynn: No it uh it at our house in Blytheville.

Mitchell: house in Blytheville?

Jo Lynn: 1024 West Gunn.

Mitchell: How long ago did you move from there?

Jo Lynn: We lived there in 2004, uh I moved 2005 we lived there a year.

Mitchell: When did you contact the landlord to see if she...

Jo Lynn: today.

Mitchell: Today.

Jo Lynn: uh Pam had asked them probably about two, two and a half years ago about it. And they said they looked for it but it's on a shelf high up and if you don't have a stop ladder you can't get to the back of that closet, so I'm hoping it's still there.

Mitchell: People has been living since then?

Jo Lynn: Um huh so all these things a questionable to me.

Mitchell: you were telling me on the phone something about some papers that you have from...

Jo Lynn: His book.

Mitchell: Tell me go threw and tell us about this. Who's writing is...

Jo Lynn: it was in some of Pam's things. And it says on the front of it I believe uh Terry Hobbs book and all so I set down and I read it. It starts out the night of May the 5th uh he the way he words it trying to do it in a professional manner. He uses uh approximately 4:30 p.m. uh he takes Pam to work at Catfish Island uh he say's that Steve did not come home he called him the boy. He tells about what time him and the little girl Amanda are walking down the side walk looking for him, uh going from house to house, he tells about meeting with a guy name David Gukoba uh Mark Byres he's giving approximate times on this. Uh he tells his story about that when they found the boys uh and it leads all up to the day he shot my brother. And it stops right there.

Mitchell: Is it typed? Is it hand written?

Jo Lynn: Hand written. And it starts off my name is Terry Wayne Hobbs and you know.

Mitchell: Now where's is that now?

Jo Lynn: I have it in the storage.

Mitchell: How long have you had it?

Jo Lynn: I've had it since 2004.

Mitchell: where did you git it from?

Jo Lynn: from his belongings when we moved Pam?

Mitchell: what that in Memphis?

Jo Lynn: Um huh.

Mitchell: Have you shown it to anybody since then?

Jo Lynn: No, no uh Pam she come in later and I was sitting on the bed reading it. And I said Pam have you ever read this? No, he never would let me read it you know he I've looked at Pam and she was sort of a program person get up you know clean the house, you know do her chores. Uh the children in school, Amanda was at home uh fix em something to eat and go to work. Work all night come home and do the same routine over and over. She never snooped in any of Terry's things she never went you know and question anything.

Mitchell: Ok uh when did you find what year was it that you found this, this wagon handle possibly that you're talking to us about?

Jo Lynn: Lets see I'm gonna have to think uh I would go back to the least I'm gonna say September 2003. Because they Terry filed divorce the divorce become final in April of 2004. When the divorce was final I got Pam to sign I was under advice from my attorney Linda (not audible) he's in Blytheville AR to get Pam to enter in a contract with me the power of attorney to protect her rights from Life Story uh the Exploitation of the children the corner autopsy the photographs uh that crime scene footage that's on the beginning of that documentary Paradise Lost uh they promise the family they would not do that. I also have a hundred and one corner autopsy photographs. That was taken by my father at the West Memphis Police Department when they open up the file and let every body come in and view and look the pictures were laid out. My father had his camera and and he shot pictures till he ran out of film and I have those pictures.

Mitchell: did you ever tell Mr. Spiddmen about the, the wagon handle?

Jo Lynn: Did I what?

Mitchell: Did you ever tell Mr. Spiddmen about the wagon handle or the bar that you found?

Jo Lynn: Uh just my father and me and Pam viewed this. It went up in the closet and that's the last of that. uh one night Pam and I were talk and Terry this is just prior to this last break up with em. Which brought me to Memphis I am out to breach this contract with Dimension Film, because Pam entered into this contract at the time we were burying my brother. So you know there's a lot going on with this but Terry was paid $12,500.00.

Mitchell: What does Dimension?

Jo Lynn: Dimension Film?

Mitchell: Yeah what are they wanting to do?

Jo Lynn: Uh their doing a film on the book uh Merritt Leveret book the Devils Knott. They're doing ah movie and I have that contract I have every thang on that.

Mitchell: You said Terry got $12,500.00 and Pam got $12,500.00 you know minus the attorney's fees. And right now that was in August last year he was already broke. He's living out of his truck and he sleep in motels West Memphis, AR. he is attending the Apostolic Church that is off next the Big Star, you know where Big Star is in West Memphis he's with the Apostolic Church there by the next door. I tried to find him I can't find him.

Mitchell: How uh how difficult would it be to find and to locate uh these writing you say you have in...

Jo Lynn: just time in my storage. Uh I've got these things stored because I've been back and forth my husband he sold his jewelry store here. He's gone into ah towing service for West Memphis and we're about to open a jewelry store in West Memphis, but uh I'm back and forth. So these things are stayed in the storage.

Mitchell: What towing service your husband have?

Jo Lynn: I had Pam writing uh I have Terry's.

Mitchell: No what towing service?

Noles: What's the name of your towing service?

Mitchell: What the name of your husbands towing service?

Jo Lynn: Glen Wray Towing Service.

Mitchell: Glen Wray ok.

Jo Lynn: Are you familiar with that one?

Mitchell: Yes ma'am I am. Ok uh would you be willing to give us a copy of these writings?

Jo Lynn: Yes I will, because I know that you're out to get a statement from him now. What he says now and what he said then you'll have something to compare it to.

Mitchell: Exactly, exactly.

Jo Lynn: I'm dying to see what his story is now.

Noles: Can you tell us what kind of truck he's driving?

Jo Lynn: He was driving a ah is it a Dodge it's a yellow a real bright yellow we call it canary yellow, uh it's a short wheel base sports truck. I'm gone to say it's a 2000 anywhere from a 2002, 2004 model, it has a ah cover over the uh bed of it that's where he keeps his belongings. I know'this man is uh on drugs really bad. Uh I know of several occasions that he was involved in drugs and I worked with the DEA you know. Anything that you know I could do to help them I do, and at the time that I was in Pena Scott County doing some work I found out Terry was involved with this young man with met amphetamine so it was crossing over back and forth. So at that time I revealed to Pam and that was one of their fights and break ups too. He threaten my life as well, anything happens to me I've got your number, let him come on with it. He shot my brother he can shoot me.

Mitchell: Is there anything else you can think of that we hadn't gone over anything that might be of interest or value or help to us in this case that we hadn't gone over with you and you would like to tell us.

Jo Lynn: I know he still in association with Mark Byers. He clamed the knives came from Mark Byers you know. Uh just him revealing to me that he was a meat cutter at one time and then he just openly come out one night we were talking about how the uh Christopher Byers was mutated and how the uh pathologist had said that the cut was so precise that if it wasn't done by a surgeon perhaps a jeweler. Well, I'm married to a jeweler ok so I'm like that just don't quit fit it. And Terry just spoke out and said well what about ah butcher? And I'm like what? And he said well I use to work in a slaughter house. I said well what did you do in a slaughter house? He said I dismembered animals. I said I don't know why you're telling me this but this is enough of this conversation you know I left it at that. Oh my God uh all I can do is just give my opinion I believe he's capable when he sat and he had every opportunity to prevent what happen between him and my brother. You know my brother was an hour away 45 minutes to an hour away and any man that loads a gun sticks it down in his pants he knows he's fixing to pull the trigger. Why didn't he call the police that's what there there for, you know they could have been there when my brother arrived and the hole conflict would of never happen the way that it did. But he had made a comment to my ex-husband that he had a bullet with my brothers name on it and my father. This is prior to this happening cause he said no man runs my house, no man tells me what to do. He's just that kind of person he comes from that Apostolic back ground. He's told stories about his mother abusing him sexual abuse, uh activity with animals it was just god awful disgusting stuff.

Mitchell: You got anything else?

Noles: No, no

Mitchell: Ok I don't have anything else either we're going to go ahead and close the interview out with you it's uh 1:50 P.M. uh we wanna tell you how much we appreciate all the cooperation from you and your sister Pam today your mom for coming up here you know in support and uh...

Jo Lynn: well, you got my fullest cooperation and I will be obtaining all those things you know anything I've got. Now I'm not gonna let these book writers have it they're not getting it.

Mitchell: As soon as you can find this if you would give us a call we'll make arrangement to come back and meet with you and get a copy of it ok. I'm ah close this interview.

Jo Lynn: and I hope for the best in this case uh I sure don't want three innocent boys spending their life in prison for something they didn't do.

Mitchell: we're gonna go ahead and close this interview now like I said it's 1:50p.m. on Tuesday, June the 19th 2007.


Detective Lt. K. Mitchell/215/ Det. C. Noles/235/eac/355


Case file#__________________________________________________________